10 Answers
10

A common term for a place that affords such a view would be a scenic overlook or simply a scenic view:

A scenic overlook, or just an overlook, observation point, lookout, viewing point or vista point is a high place where people can gather to view scenery (often with binoculars), and to photograph it. Scenic overlooks are typically created alongside mountain roads, often as a simple turnouts where motorists can pull over onto pavement, gravel, or grass on the right-of-way. Many are larger, having parking areas, while some (typically on larger highways) are off the road completely.

In AE it is overlook or vista. Vista would be more used for beautiful scenery and overlook for utilitarian views.
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RyeɃreḁdApr 5 '14 at 16:45

1

@RyeɃreḁd: Which dialect is "AE"? If "American English", then -- I disagree. I've always understood "vista" to be the beautiful view itself, not the place from which to view it.
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ruakhApr 5 '14 at 17:29

1

"Overlook" isn't used to mean this in BrE. (To British people, it's just a verb meaning to forget to consider something.)
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David RicherbyApr 6 '14 at 8:08

@tchrist: No, in the UK there are roadsigns to Viewpoints. There's even a symbol for them. And OED does have entry, and a 150-year-old citation: "1858 W. Arnot Laws from Heaven 2nd Ser. xxv. 200 Change the view-point, and the scene will change."
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Andrew Leach♦Apr 5 '14 at 16:11

acropolis

Since you mentioned "with a fall if you step further", I offer something "with precipitous sides":

An acropolis (from akros or akron, "highest", "topmost", "outermost" and polis, "city"; plural in English: acropoles, acropoleis or acropolises) is a settlement, especially a citadel, built upon an area of elevated ground—frequently a hill with precipitous sides, chosen for purposes of defense.